


sweet and easy peace

by EvaBelmort



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, spoilers for episode 160
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25806457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvaBelmort/pseuds/EvaBelmort
Summary: Where exactly did Zolf sleep, since he gave Earhart his bed?A missing scene from episode 160: A Fixer Upper.
Relationships: Zolf Smith & Oscar Wilde
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	sweet and easy peace

**Author's Note:**

> I love everybody in this show, but I want more of Zolf and Wilde being messed up and slightly co-dependant and never talking about any of it because ugh, feelings.

Oscar was quietly going through his (very limited) notes on what they might find in the northern wastes, when there was a knock at his door.

"Yes?" he asked cautiously.

"Hey, it's me." Zolf's familiar rough voice was subdued.

"Come in, then." Oscar put his papers tidily into a pile on the desk.

Zolf came in, quietly closing the door behind himself, and then leaned against the wall with a sigh. "You weren't joking about the state of her."

"Earhart?” Oscar winced slightly. “I heard some… unpleasant things. Do you think she'll be ready to fly?"

"What’s wrong with her’ll need a lot more time than we have to get sorted, and she’s never going to be the same, but…” He shrugged. “I reckon Azu has a better chance than most at getting her back on her feet by the time Cel sorts out her aircraft."

Oscar nodded. "Alright, thank you."

Zolf nodded back, and then... didn't leave.

Oscar frowned. "Was there something else?"

“Uhm.” Zolf shifted awkwardly. "About earlier... sorry. For snapping at you. It weren't- well. Anyway, sorry."

Oscar twisted his pen between his fingers for a moment. "You hardly need to apologise for that, Mr Smith. If anything, I should be apologising - I made you uncomfortable for the sake of a bad pun."

Zolf snorted. "Yeah, well. I'm not... Look, it's fine. Are we alright?"

"Of course." Oscar gave him a wry half-smile, well used to Zolf’s abrupt way of dealing with issues, as if he could only get the words out so long as he didn’t give himself time to overthink them.

Zolf nodded, turning to go. Then he stopped again. "Uhm. Weird, ah, weird question. More of a request, I guess."

Oscar raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, would you mind if I slept in here?"

Oscar felt the other eyebrow rise as well, and Zolf tensed slightly. Manfully biting back any number of arch responses, Oscar asked carefully, "Is there something wrong with your room?"

"No- Well, sort of. I put Earhart in there."

Oscar blinked. "Oh. Would you like me to speak to the concierge?"

Zolf shook his head. "Too much trouble, and I was just rattling around in that room anyway. I've a bedroll, ah, if- if you don't mind."

Oscar considered offering to share the bed, but, well. The anti-magic shackles might protect him from external influences, but they did nothing to stop ordinary nightmares, and he was well aware that Zolf suffered the same. Neither of them could be described as a restful bedmate these days. He gestured broadly to the spacious suite, instead. "I think I've a little floor to spare. I admit, all these large rooms do feel rather... exposed, at the moment. We’d gotten quite comfortable in the inn, hadn’t we.”

“It was always going to be temporary.” Zolf shrugged, but his tone was drifting towards melancholy, and Oscar swiftly added, “Well, I have no objections to you borrowing my floor. You’re a good deal less demanding than most men I’ve shared a bedroom with.”

Zolf rolled his eyes, but he looked amused now. “Sadly I can’t say the same, but you’ve got a few redeeming features, at least.”

Oscar’s jaw twitched. “Not as many as I used to,” he muttered.

“Don’t you start,” Zolf grumbled. “If you’re fishing for compliments, you already know I’m terrible at them. You’re very pretty and you don’t snore. That alright?”

Oscar huffed out a startled laugh. “Well, if that's what I’m getting, I shall take it and cast no more lines, for fear of what else I might pull up. Do you mind if I keep working a bit longer?”

“Slept through worse, the light won’t bother me or anythin’. I might take exception if you’re not planning on sleeping at all, though.”

“Not all of us like to get up at first light,” Oscar shot back, “Although I suppose it’ll stand you in good stead - I doubt you want Earhart knowing you’re sharing my room.”

Zolf sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “I don't think she’s in any state to be worrying about other folks’ sleeping arrangements, but good point. I’ll be careful.”

He ducked out again, returning a few minutes later with his bags. 

Oscar settled back into his work to the familiar sounds of Zolf settling in for the night, and even the gruff, “You’d better be finishing up,” merely drew an absentminded hum from him as he pored over a map. 

He did take note of the time, though, and made sure that it was still well shy of midnight by the time he put out his lamp and climbed into his bed. Zolf stirred slightly at the noise, murmuring a goodnight, and Oscar returned it quietly as he curled up in the bed. 

The room was almost pitch black, but he could hear Zolf’s steady breathing, and he knew even if he couldn’t see, Zolf could. Sleep swept him under, and for once, Oscar didn’t dream.


End file.
